"Clear and Transparent All Around"

Paradigm's E1 in-ear headphone delivers a huge amount of performance at an extremely modest price. The E1 is the entry-level model of Paradigm's new Shift-series of in-ear headphones, and it is definitely a winner.

"For being a $50 earphone the E1 is a killer in terms of audio quality," raves Md Islam in a Touchtip.com review for April 21, 2012.
"It's clear and transparent all around and doesn't largely favor one single audio spectrum more."

"Of the three earphones E-series, the least expensive $49.95 E1 will be the biggest hit with athletes or anyone who wears their earbuds with the cables routed above their ears and down their backs," reports Steven Stone in his Playback magazine review for August 12, 2012. "The E1 also had more bass than most in-ears Iíve heard."

Faithfully Reproducing Freestanding Loudspeaker Performance

Paradigm's unique understanding of what makes a speaker sound magical in a listening room is applied to the design of its in-ear headphones. Paradigm uses sophisticated measurement tools and proprietary algorithms while accounting for the psycho-acoustic effects of the ear structure in developing its design. This allowed the company to faithfully reproduce the performance of its freestanding loudspeakers in an in-ear headphone.

Meet Angie, the Perfect Listener

Angie, Paradigm's 'Head and Torso Simulator,' was the middle man (okay, middle woman) in the quest to critically tune each earbud to sound like the company's loudspeaker lines. Paradigm put her in the anechoic chamber with a microphone in each ear and a Paradigm speaker in the chamber. Then the engineers measured sound pressure levels, the speaker's frequency response, and total sound power (the actual summed output that is heard). They looked for any coloration or distortion at various power levels, all of it according to what Angie was actually hearing. Then they took the results and began to design.

Canada's National Research Council Findings

While everyone's ears are different, extensive research with Canada's National Research Council revealed that all listeners clearly favor three things: a flat midrange, a smooth total energy response and low distortion. Through Angie's ears, Paradigm was able to so precisely tune the headphones to its speakers that listening to an E1 earbud is like listening to music through Paradigm's Monitor series 7 speakers.

In-Ear Headphones That Sound as Good as High-End Speakers

Paradigm SHIFT series products are the result of 30 years of sound research and product development. Paradigm took the expertise used to produce hundreds of award-winning loudspeakers and adapted it for music on the go. What you hear when you plug in with Paradigm SHIFT series is exactly what you should hear Ė a faithful reproduction of the original source, no different than if you were listening to a Paradigm loudspeaker.

If you're listening to a live concert recording, your SHIFT headphones will make it feel 'live.' When you turn up the volume there will be no loss in sound quality. And because Paradigm headphones have superb noise isolation, even at low volumes you will still hear the full spectrum of sound clearly.

Drivers: 8-mm super-neodymium

Voicing: Voice matched to Paradigm's Monitor Series speakers

Bass output: HD Bass

Cord: Tangle-resistant 1.2m cord

Remote and mic: NA

Finishes: White/black

Plug: 3.5mm

Ear tips: Includes small, medium, and large tips

Sensitivity: 103 dB

Frequency response: 10 Hz - 18 kHz

"For being a $50 earphone the E1 is a killer in terms of audio quality. After a few initial days of burning in and a good few months of testing, the Paradigm SHIFT E1 lives up to its price point and even goes beyond it. It's clear and transparent all around and doesn't largely favor one single audio spectrum more."

- Md Islam, Touchtip.com, April 21, 2012

"Of the three earphones E-series, the least expensive $49.95 E1 will be the biggest hit with athletes or anyone who wears their earbuds with the cables routed above their ears and down their backs. The E1 also had more bass than most in-ears Iíve heard."

I bought these primarily for mobile use walking or maybe biking. They have a very well balanced sound with excellent mid-range clarity and smooth treble. Finally settled on the largest size pads for best seal and bass. However, the cable is very micro phonic, meaning you will constantly hear every rub on your clothing as you walk - not a huge issue for me as I listen mostly to rock and this is drowned out. Only hear it between songs or occasional very quiet passages. Could be a deal breaker for others.